ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a word
  8. squash — the sport
  9. press — a publisher
  10. field — for sport
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. root — of a plant
  16. press — newspapers
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. field — a subject
  21. press — to push
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. field — farmland
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com